Introduction to Chapter 5
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Instructor's Notes
To download handouts of the Learning by Doing activities and checklists that appear in this unit, and to access lecture slides, teaching tips, and Instructor’s Manual materials, go to the “Instructor Resources” folder at the end of this unit.
5
Observing a Scene
Responding to an Image
In this 2012 photo, Detroit Tigers outfielder Ryan Raburn reaches up to save a home run. This scene might look and feel quite different to different observers, depending on their vantage points, emotions, and experiences. In this image, what prominent element attracts your attention? Who are the observers? Which details might be important for them? Although visual details are central, what other senses and emotions might come into play?
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Most writers begin to write by recalling what they know. Then they look around and add what they observe. Some writing consists almost entirely of observation—a reporter’s eyewitness account of a fire, a clinical report by a nurse detailing a patient’s condition, a scientist’s account of a laboratory experiment, a traveler’s blog or photo essay. In fact, observation plays a large role in any writing that describes a person, place, or thing. Observation also provides details to make a point clear or convincing. For example, the abstractions and statistics of a case study can be made more vivid with compelling observations.
If you need more to write about, open your eyes—and your other senses. Take in what you can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. As you write, report your observations in concrete detail. Of course, you can’t record everything your senses bring you. You must be selective based on what’s important and relevant for your purpose and audience. To make a football game come alive for readers of your college newspaper, you might mention the overcast cold weather and the spicy smell of bratwurst. But if your purpose is primarily to explain which team won and why, you might stress the most spectacular plays and the players who scored.
Why Observing a Scene Matters
In a College Course
You observe and report compelling information from field trips in sociology, criminal justice, or anthropology as well as impressions of a play, an exhibit, or a historical site for a humanities class.
You observe clinical practices in health or education, habitats for plants and animals, the changing night sky, or lab experiments to report accurate information and to improve your own future practice.
In the Workplace
You observe and analyze to lend credibility to your case study as a nurse, teacher, or social worker or to your site report as an engineer or architect.
In Your Community
You observe, photograph, and report on hazards (a dangerous intersection, a poorly lighted park, a run-down building), needs (a soccer arena, a performing arts center), or disasters (an accident, a crime scene, a flood) to motivate action by authorities or fellow citizens.
When have you included observations in your writing? How did these observations contribute to your writing? In what situations might you use observation in future writing?